


At Any Cost

by demonmadej



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Angst, Boys Kissing, Confusion, First Kiss, Fluff, Jedi, Kissing, Light Angst, Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Obi-Wan Talks About His Feelings, Oblivious Obi-Wan Kenobi, One Shot, One-Sided Attraction, Pining, Talking, Unrequited Love, but not really, kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-22
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:08:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25434424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/demonmadej/pseuds/demonmadej
Summary: A short story where Obi-Wan and Anakin Skywalker get caught up in a storm, and are forced to deal with their feelings
Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi/Anakin Skywalker
Comments: 4
Kudos: 143





	At Any Cost

This wasn't the first time that Anakin and Obi-Wan had been caught up in a severe storm and it certainly wouldn't be their last. It wasn't the first time they had to perform emergency landings due to nearly-impossible to see through rain, intense fog, and heavy winds. It wasn't the first time that seeking shelter was more important than a mission.

It was the first time however that they couldn't get a communication signal out.

"Try narrowing the triangulation," Obi-Wan instructed. He was kneeling beside R2-D2 and R4-P17 at the edge of the cave they'd retreated to, trying to do what he could to get some kind of signal out. "The clouds are creating a barrier, so if we can get through that we can reach the fleet."

Artoo beeped at him indignantly, and Obi-Wan lifted his hands in surrender. "I'll leave it to you, sorry."

"Just let them be," Anakin said, coming up from behind him. "They know what they're doing."

"I know, I'm just trying to help," Obi-Wan replied. "The fleet needs to know our status and why we can't move forward."

"And they can see the storm systems. They'll figure it out. Stop fretting."

"You know that fretting is my specialty."

Anakin rolled his eyes at that. "Come on, I got a fire going," he said. "You'll freeze out here." He grabbed Obi-Wan's arm forcing the older Jedi up from off the ground and into following him.

"I'm not going to freeze," Obi-Wan muttered but allowed himself to led deeper into the cave where Anakin had, as he had said, successfully got a fire burning.

He sat himself down on one side of the fire once Anakin released his arm, apparently satisfied that Obi-Wan wasn't going to rush back to assist (and possibly annoy) the droids. And it was rather warm, so he stuck his palms towards it to warm his hands.

"Here, catch," Anakin said, tossing a packet of provisions to Obi-Wan, who reached up and caught it. He hadn't even noticed his former padawan and friend digging around in their packs. He must have been colder than he'd thought if he'd been that engrossed in the fire.

"Thanks."

Anakin just gave a small nod, already ripping into his own packet with his teeth as he sat down on the opposite side of the fire. Obi-Wan rolled his eyes, before opening his packet of food as well. Did Anakin always have to tear into his food all the time?

The two ate in silence, listening to the small crackles from the fire and the rain pound against the rocks. Occasionally, the two astromechs would beep, but it was never a connection. To Obi-Wan, it seemed like they were completely stuck until the storm finally died down, and he couldn't guess how long that would take. So instead of fretting, Obi-Wan finished eating and watched the fire burn before him, allowing the warmth to soothe him.

"We need to talk."

Obi-Wan jumped slightly, not having expected Anakin to speak so suddenly. He looked up from the fire to see the younger man staring at him. His heart skipped a beat, but he shoved his own feelings aside. Something was obviously troubling Anakin because his expression was a mix of serious thought and nervousness and his provisions sat half-eaten beside him. And Anakin didn't finish a meal without reason.

"Of course," Obi-Wan said, sitting up straighter. "What's on your mind?"

"I think you know."

Obi-Wan raised a brow. "I'm not a mind reader, Anakin. You'll have to be more specific."

Anakin let out a heavy sigh and ran a finger through his messy hair. A frown made its way onto Obi-Wan's face because Anakin's hand was clearly shaking. Whatever this was clearly had him shaken up, and that wasn't easy to do. Upset him? Yes. Anger him? Yes. But make him extremely nervous? Obi-Wan had only seen him anxious a couple of times. He got up and moved to sit beside him by the fire.

"What's going on, Anakin?" he asked. His voice was soft and caring. It was a tone that he used a couple of times back in the past when Anakin was little enough to still come to him at night when he was scared by nightmares, or when he was missing his mother.

"I..." Anakin bit his lip, staring down at his lap. Obi-Wan sat quietly while he gathered his words. He knew better than to rush Anakin in times like these. "Have you noticed?" Anakin finally asked.

"Noticed what?"

"That some things have changed." Obi-Wan opened his mouth to reply, but Anakin cut him off before he could do so. "I mean, between us."

"Oh," Obi-Wan wasn't sure how to respond to that. He had noticed that, but he thought it was just him. They acted the same way they always did. Joking and laughing together, arguing and bantering with each other, and confiding and reassuring the other. It was normal.

And it wasn't like Anakin knew that his heart hammered when he heard the young man laugh, how he delighted in the way he trusted him and relied on him, how he had a tendency to stare at him when his back was turned, and how he wished for Anakin's company when he was alone on some nights. He couldn't possibly know about that. Could he?

"I don't mean that we...It's just...Well, when we...Ugh!" Anakin let out a groan and pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes for a moment.

"I'm confused."

"I know, I know, I'm trying."

Another moment of silence passed and Anakin lowered his hands from his face and onto his lap. His eyes were focused on the fire, and the light from it cast an almost unearthly glow upon his face. Obi-Wan felt his heart speed up at this, but he forced himself to swallow those feelings that were trying to surface.

When Anakin chose to speak again, his voice was much quieter. "There's something between us." he finally said. "Something...something that the Jedi Council would call wrong if they knew."

Obi-Wan could feel a pit forming in his stomach and a swell building in his chest. His emotions were torn between dread and hope, fear and a tiny bit of excitement.

Anakin turned his head towards Obi-Wan. His eyes, the same color as the ocean beyond the cave and as tumultuous as the storm around them, were filled with the same longing that Obi-Wan felt. And it tore him apart. On one hand, he was relieved and eager. But it also broke his heart.

"Obi-Wan I-"

"Don't," Obi-Wan looked back to where the two droids were. "Don't say it."

"Why not?"

"We can't have this conversation."

"Why not?" Anakin asked again, this time the desperation in his voice noticeable. "I know that you've felt it too! We never address it and we keep putting it off and avoiding it, and we can't keep doing that."

"We can and we will."

"Why?"

Obi-Wan kept staring at the droids, not wanting Anakin to see his internal struggle. "You said it yourself, the Council would-"

"Well forget the kriffing council!" Anakin snapped. Obi-Wan turned back quickly and stared at him, his anger catching off guard. "Forget them! Forget the damn council and the damn war! For once second, Obi-Wan, forget that you're a kriffing Jedi and remember that your human!"

"I'm not saying that I don't want it, Anakin, but we both know that what you're saying is nearly impossible."

"Nearly is still a chance of working."

"And what if it doesn't?" Obi-Wan asked, getting a bit angry himself. "What if we're caught? What if we can't make it work? You're asking me to risk everything, just so that we-"

"I just want you to acknowledge it."

"And doing so opens a path that we can't follow."

"We can."

"At what cost, Anakin?"

"I'll pay any cost it takes," Anakin said. His eyes were filled with determination, but soft at the same time. He reached out with his real hand and put it against Obi-Wan's cheek, his touch the softest and most tender thing that Obi-Wan had ever felt. "Please, Obi-Wan," he whispered. "Just give it a chance. Give me a chance. I want this more than anything. Please, just tell me. I know that you feel it because I feel it too. Just tell me how you feel. Just one time."

Obi-Wan stared at Anakin, conflicted. For once he had no clue what to do. His mind and heart were at war with each other. All he could see was a diverging path and both options ending in pain. He didn't know what option was better.

He closed his eyes, finally leaning into Anakin's fingers, feeling them slide over his cheek until his palm was holding his face gently.

"I love you, so much," he breathed out. His chest opened up and he felt like he could finally breathe again. He opened his eyes just in time to see Anakin smile, a real smile before he took his breath away once again with a passionate kiss.


End file.
